September 02, 2014
Basking in the Glory
Last night I watched a
segment of the American Ninja Warriors finals. This is a timed run through an obstacle
course and the contestants will often play to the crowd before they attempt some
obstacles, or after they accomplish the feat. It’s not unusual to see the contestant
get cocky about his prowess, take a misstep, fall into the water below and
become disqualified. One young man made a perfect run, but failed to realize
how much time was being eaten up by adoring fans. Time ran out two-tenths of a
second before he hit the buzzer. In disbelief and with tears welling up in his
eyes he managed a brief interview with the show’s co-host; then turned to his
friends waiting on the sidelines and in emotional distress collapsed in their
arms. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb 12:1 NIV).
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Gail;
-----I think most people give little, if any, attention to what is their consciousness. To me it has been as much a riddle to solve as a problem to overcome. It’s basic process of observation/reflection repeats many times over in all the different ideas and feelings combining to make consciousness flow continuously. There are times when observation is more important than reflection. There are times when reflection is more important than observation. Then there are times when observation must immediately drive reflection.
-----We’ve all experienced beginner’s luck. It’s called luck because for a couple times the beginner does quite well, thereafter, he stinks. Usually this happens at physical feats requiring at least some amount of focus. But luck usually has little to do with it. How observation and reflection interact within is much more culpable.
-----Consciousness does not flow just from one thought to the next to another after that, at least not that uncluttered. Call a flow of thoughts or feelings a “thread”, just for the sake of applying a term so we can talk about this. Even though your consciousness often feels like a single thread, it is far more than just one thread. In relaxed states, many threads are often joined by two predominant threads, one observational, the other reflective, each sharing the more predominance, passing it back and forth. And those threads not only share predominance, they influence each other. Observation shifts the focus of reflection as much as reflection shifts the focus of observation. Each of those threads spin each other in this manner, and moreover, are each similarly spun of many other far less predominant threads.
-----We can all clear the threads and achieve focus for a short time. The more practiced we are at an activity, the better we are able to focus for even longer periods of time because the cognitive task of discerning what we are observing in order to figure a reflective response has happened often enough that calculative threads don’t compete for predominance. Observation is simply reflected by response when consciousness is cleared of all other threads.
-----Sometimes the beginner “accidentally” achieves a complete and actual focus on the task at hand, both observationally and reflectively, such that what he sets his mind upon produces just the right physical response for success. But then that success is reflected in amazement, perhaps, or pride, or many other self-reflective responses, which are additional threads of consciousness extremely adept at competing for predominance and, thus, spoiling the very delicate observation/reflection connection needed to repeat success.
-----No matter how much we do something until we are no longer beginners at a task, we are all yet beginners in the next moment. Every performer needs a mind well trained in avoiding the self-reflective and audience-observing threads during each moment of their performance. The failure to do so produces Champ Bailey results - like a champ on one play, like a chump on the next. The same applies to us ordinary schleps of the street. We too have many performances a good and decent life depends upon: being productive at work, loving the precious spouse, caring for the kids, helping the neighbors, presenting the Lord, prayer, worship, and the likes. Life is a performance. And usually mental clutter ditches us into the drink.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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